Tony Moly Bio Ex Cell Peptide Ampoules - Review

6:39 PM

This Bio Ex Cell Peptide line from Tony Moly focuses on peptides as the name suggest but also on polyglutamic acid, niacinamide, crithmum maritimum callus culture filtrate and fullerene and you find these ingredients in all the products of the line. I decided to go for the ampoules because they seem to be the most concentrated in peptides. They’re actually pretty high in the ingredient list for such molecules so I was really excited to try them as so far I don’t have much experience with products containing or focusing on peptides.

If you're interested, the other products from this line are a toner, emulsion, essence, wrinkle perfector,

cream, eye cream and a sheet mask. I think that the wrinkle perfector is also interesting :D

WHAT IT IS

These are ampoules that target the first signs of age and will decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles thanks to the peptides they contain. They also contain some wound-healing, anti-inflammatory and soothing ingredients in addition to some antioxidants.

HOW IT LOOKS / FEELS / SMELLS

The box comes with 28 ampoules, each containing 5mL of product. The bottle is tiny (only 5mL) but the overall amount 140mL is large for an ampoule product, so they will last you a while! The product is dispensed by a pipette, this is rather convenient and the pipette functions well. The only thing is as the packaging is small, if you have wet hands (from previous skincare application), it might get a bit difficult to unscrew the cap (in this case, wipe your hands and it will be OK :p ).

The product is a runny liquid that is more viscous than water. It is a bit oily and it feels more moisturizing than hydrating. You only need 1-2 drops as it spreads easily. It is absorbed almost immediately and leaves the skin softer and more elastic without resiudes. I can't really describe the scent but it's a bit perfumy, the scent is not strong so I don't mind it.

Peptides are a bit tricky because they are much larger than traditional cosmetics ingredients and therefore are less susceptible to be absorbed by the skin. They are also less stable and can degradate easily and lose their activity. However they are some studies that point out their promising values in cosmetics. They can have some values but high quality randomized double-blind active-controlled large trials are needed to have a clearer view of all the potential of peptides in topical application.

Acetyl hexapeptide-8 (Argireline) used in this ampoule showed good results in a study on 10 healthy volunteers when used as an emulsion formulated at 10% of peptide. Results show significantly more reduction in the depth of wrinkles for Argireline group compared to placebo (1, 2, 3). This is one of the most used peptides in anti-aging products as it seems to backed up by more research that some other peptides in that domain (4). It seems actually quite interesting.

Hexacarboxymethyl dipeptide-12 is officially marketed as a humectant (draws water into the skin to plump it), but I’ve found a study that shows potential interesting activities against skin-aging (5).

Rh-oligopeptide-1: the synthetic version of this peptide has been shown to increase the rate of healing and renewal of the skin, as well as slow the thinning of aging skin, thus minimising wrinkles (6). The recombinant version seems to have the same healing properties, it could increase the rate of skin renewal (helping aging skin) and help slow down skin thinning which occurs as we age. This is a growth factor and therefore it should not be used on the skin of psoriasis patients, or on pre-cancerous or cancerous lesions.

THE OTHER INGREDIENTS

polyglutamic acid: polyglutamic acid that has strong moisturizing ability and can prevent the skin from drying

niacinamide: can improve skin’s elasticity, enhance its barrier function, stimulate microcirculation, help erase discolorations, and revive skin’s healthy tone and texture. It is also able to treat an uneven skin tone and to mitigate acne and the red marks it leaves behind (known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation)

fullerene: not so much info about this ingredient in cosmetics, I summarized it here

Other notable ingredients include some amino acids (usually they have humectant properties), glutathione (a powerful antioxidant), allantoin (soothing), and Acmella Oleracea Extract. Acmella Oleracea extract is considered a natural alternative to Botox, and is extracted from a plant called Acmella Oleracea. Applied topically, Acmella Oleracea reportedly reduces muscle tension (considered a natural muscle relaxant), reducing facial wrinkles caused by tense or contracted facial muscles, providing a smoother, more even complexion (7) , patent filled by Gattefosse 8). More studies in the domain are need to confirm these properties but first results seem interesting.

Overall I find this is a super interesting ingredient list with ingredients that I don’t see often in other products and that’s mainly why I was curious to try these ampoules!

THOUGHTS / SUMMARY

So overally I'm very happy with these ampoules for several reasons: i) I think it's pretty cool to have smaller containers to take them with you for the weekend or on holiday and 1 ampoule actually lasts you a while (~a month for me) and you get 28 of them :D ii) the ingredient list is pretty impressive, I'm happy to see these 3 peptides rather high in the list and I also appreciate the presence of large amount of niacinamide (brighten, even skin tone, reduce redness). There are also some antioxidants that are always welcome to help fight oxidative stress. So yes, I like the formula! iii) and finally I think it feels nice on the skin.
In terms of effects, that's always a bit difficult to judge especially as I have added a couple of new products recently. What I can say is that some months ago when I started using these ampoules, I noticed that I had a couple of fine lines (i.e. I'm not talking about deep wrinkles but fine lines here) on my forehead and I was wondering if they could help decrease the appearance of them. I took maybe 3-4 weeks before I noticed that my forehead did actually look smoother! Again, I can't say this is all thanks to these ampoules, there could be other things involved but I really have the impression they did help. So yes I'm really happy with them and I think they're worth a try and I will happily continue to use the other ampoules left!

Purchase info

Tony Moly Bio Ex Cell Peptide line can be purchased from jolse.com. It is listed here. They currently don't have the ampoules but you can ask for restock or otherwise the rest of the line is available.

*I received it from Jolse.com for review. I could chose what I wanted to get in their shop*